Wire-stretching clamp.



- O. J. NEDERLOE WIRE STRETOHING CLAMP. APPLIOATION FILED DEC. 2, 1908.

*y1,65, Patented Sept 27, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

J! NEDERLOE.

WIRE STRETGHING CLAMP. APPLICATION FILED DBO. 2, 1908.

971,65 Patented Sept. 27,1910.

2 SHEETSSHEET z,

" rrn OLE J. NEDERLOE, OF MOUNT STERLING, WISCONSIN.

WIRE-STRETCHING CLAMP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 2, 1908.

Patented Sept. 27, 191%.

Serial No. 465,740.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OLE J. NEDnRLoE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Mount Sterling, in the county of Crawford and State of lVisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in ire-Stretching Clamps; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

In building wire fence or in stretching wire for any purpose, it is important to make use of a clamp so constructed as to positively engage the wire or wires whether one or many, to enable the work to be accomplished without distorting the mesh should a woven or other reticulated wire fence be erected. It is also important, of course, to afford a construction adapted to enable any number of strands of wire in a fence or otherwise to be stretched to afford the desired tension simultaneously, thus enabling all the leads of a wire fence to be put on at the same time and greatly economize in the time and labor necessary for such work.

The object of this invention is to afford a wire stretcher of an exceedingly simple and durable construction adapted to be con.- structed of any desired length and capable of being used to stretch a single wire in a fence or otherwise, or to stretch all the wires in a fence simultaneously, as preferred.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a clamp adapted to engage one or a plurality of wires and adapted in any eventto afford practically the same binding pressure upon many that would be exerted upon one were one alone operated upon.

It is also an object of the invention to afford a construction wherein the binding pressure upon the wire increases with the tension means whatsoever the object employed.

It is further an object of the invention to afford a device of the class described adapted to be quickly separated and assembled to permit the same to be engaged upon the wire.

Finally, it is the object of the invention to afford an exceedingly strong, simple and durable device of the class described adapted for any and all purposes necessitating the stretching of wire or, of course, any analogous material, as for instance, cords, lines or the like.

The invention consists in the matters hereinafter described and more fully pointed out and defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings: Figure l is a view in elevation illustrating the construction and operation of a device embodying my invention in fence making. Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevation of a device embodying my invention. Fig. 3 is a similar view taken on the opposite side of the clamp. Fig. 1- is an enlarged fragmentary front elevation of the same. Fig. 5 is a similar fragmentary rear elevation of the clamp. Fig. 6 is an enlarged section taken on line (S t; of Fig. 2. Fig. 7 is an enlarged section taken on line 7'7 of Fig. 2. Fig. 8 is an enlarged detail view of a portion of the hinge for one of the clamping bails.

As shown in the drawings: Said clamp comprises two parallel separable jaws indicated by i l-A. These may be constructed of oak or any sufficiently strong and rigid hard wood or may be constructed of a softer material and joined with steel, as shown in the drawings. Preferably, oak is employed and for this purpose, two bars of oak of requisite length and suitable width and thickness are shaped on their inner or adjacent sides to afford a waved line 77/ of contact for the wire, thus increasing the surface thereof exposed to friction when engaged in the clamp. Rig-idly secured on, and affording a brace for said clamping bars \-1 along the outer sides thereof, are angle bars a-aa a These, as shown, extend for the entire length of said clamping bars, and are secured thereto by riveting or like means. it the ends of the clamping bar A, and at the middle, are transversely and rearwardly directed straps B, which extend beyond the bar on the rear side and are directed baclnvardly and toward the wire engaging interstice between the bars A-A to afford fingers Z), adapted to engage in corresponding loops Z), on the transverse straps B, secured at the ends and at the middle and on the outer side of the clamping bar A. Said fingers engaging in said loop afford a hinge upon which the clamping bars may be moved from or toward each other or may be immediately separated, as desired. As shown, the straps B, extend forwardly beyond the front edge of the clamping bar A, and there are likewise provided with an eye or loop 6 in which is hooked a steel bar 7r, of a length to extend nearly to the middle of the clamp. The end straps B, are integrally connected with the longitudinal strap 72*, which is rigidly secured on the outer side of the bar A, and which extends to a point intermediate the end and the middle of the bar, at which point it is directed forwardly and provided with a lug or bearing 6 in which is engaged a rod E. On the rod E, are pivoted the inwardly turned and somewhat enlarged hooked ends I), of a bail B which, thus hinged to the clamping bar A, is adapted to extend forwardly from the front edge of the clamping bar for a considerable distance. Collars 5 are secured on the rod on the inner side of the hooks Z), of the bail. 13 which prevent the ends of the bail springing inwardly on the rod when tension is applied to the bail, A lip or lug Z2 1n tegral with the hooked end 7), extends over the bearing 7J and prevents the hooked end from accidental detachmentfrom the rod E.

Rigidly bolted or otherwise secured upon the bar A, at its ends is a bail O. This, as

shown, is somewhat shorter than the bail B and is narrowed at its central portion to a loop 0, adapted to receive a hook (Z, the whole bail O, being so shaped that it may be drawn within the bail B as shown in Fig. 6.

Rigidly secured on the strap 72*, are upwardly projecting fingers b one near each end of the clamping bar and in position to engage the stress rods 6 as shown in Fig. while the inner end thereof is engaged behind the hinged bail B The operation is as follows: Having secured the wire or wires as, for instance, a wire fence, constructed of longitudinal and vertical wires affording a reticulated structure, the clamp is applied at the free end, as shown in Fig. 1, and the ends of the tension bars 6 being thrown around the fingers Z1 and thus within the bail 13 the bail B is sprung inwardly, and passes over the bail O. The hook (I is engaged in the loop or eye 0 on said bail, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, and tension being applied by the block and tackle or otherwise, the stress from the clamp is exerted simultaneously on all the wires of the fence to stretch the same uniformly without the tendency to buckle and without any tendency whatever to distort the fence by unequal stretching. Of course, if a single wire were to be stretched, the operation would be substantially the same except, if desired, a shorter clamp might be employed for the purpose. Owing to the great inward pressure exerted by the inwardly folding bail B or the tension bars 5 it follows that inward clamping or springing of the bails serves to rig idly bind the wires between the central brace of the clamp, producing a corresponding pressure at the ends of the clamping bars because of the action of the lever or tension rods 6 Having brought the fence to the desired tension and having nailed or stapled all previously stretched, the clamp may be quickly released and moved forward for the next operation. For this purpose it is only necessary to disengage the clamping bars from the fence and the clamping bars readily separate by elevating the hooks or fingers Z), from the eyes in the straps B. The clamp may then be immediately engaged to the fence at an advanced point when the operation is repeated as before.

Of course, I am aware that there are nu merous details of this construction that may be varied without departing from the principles of this invention. I have, however, shown but one of numerous constructions capable of embodying my invention, and I therefore do not purpose limiting this application for patent otherwise than neces sitated by the prior art.

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination with a clamping bar of fingers or projections along the rear side thereof, a corresponding clamping bar having eyes arranged below the same adapted to receive the fingers on the other bar. a bail on each clamping bar, one of which is adapted to be sprung over the other in clamping relation, the actuating means be ing engaged in the inner bail.

2. Clamping bars each having inner or curved clamping faces adapted to increase surface friction, a quickly detachable hinge afforded by parts on said bars, a bail on each bar, one of which is stationary and the other of which is hinged, the hinged bail being positioned to engage over the other, and tension lever-s pivotally engaged near the ends of the bars and adapted to be actuated by one or both of the bails to afford together with the bails, uniform pressure for the entire length of the clamping bars.

3. In a machine of the class described parallel clamping bars dctachably hinged together, a fixed bail and a hinged bail on said clamping bars, one adapted to engage over the other, a hook or eye in the inner bail adapted to receive the hook of the stretching means, and tension levers engaged near the ends of the bars and wit-h one of the bails and adapted to afford a pressure at the ends substantially uniform with the pressure at the middle of the clamping bars.

at. In a device of the class described a wire stretching clamp embracing two clamp ing bars detachably hinged together and each provided with a forwardly directed bail, one of which is of a length to extend over the other, and hook adapted to engage the inner bail and to afford means for engaging the source of tension to the clamp.

A device embracing clamping bars having one rigid and one hinged bail, the latter adapted to swing over the former, a hook to engage in the inner bail and to use the outer as a fulcrum in closing the clamp and levers engaged at each end of one of the bars and engaged around a projection on the other, and of a length to project between the bails whereby the pressure exerted on one of the bails produces a corresponding pressure on the ends of the clamping bars.

6. In a device of the class described clamping jaws, coacting members secured to the jaws at the middle for forcing the jaws together and tension members at the ends of the jaws extending inwardly and actuated by the coacting members.

7. In a device of the class described clamping jaws detachably hinged together, members for forcing the jaws together, means secured to one of the members for attachment with a stretching device, fulcrum members secured to one of the jaws adjacent the ends thereof and tension levers pivoted to the ends of the other jaw adapted to engage over the fulcrum members and to engage within one of the first named members.

8. In a device of the class described a wire stretching clamp comprising two par allel separable bars, transverse straps on one of the bars extending beyond the rear side thereof and directed rearwardly and outwardly to afford fingers, transverse straps secured at the ends and at the middle and on the outer side of the other clamping bar and at their ends affording eyes adapted to receive said fingers, coacting members secured to the bars for forcing the jaws together and tension members at the ends of the jaws extending inwardly and actuated by the coacting members.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two I subscribing witnesses.

OLE J. NEDERLOE. Witnesses LARS MANUEL, OLE W. HELGERsoN. 

